I'm a mom and I love it!!!!!

The last few months I have been thinking a lot about what a privilaige it is to be a mother. I have had a couple things happen that have changed my perspective and I thought I would share them with you and hope that it will help you the way that it has helped me. One of the experiences was a job offer. A few months ago I got a call from a doctors office wanting me to work for them. It was very tempting because I really want to keep my medical experience up so that if I ever was in a sitiuation that I needed to provide for my family I would be able to. When I started thinking about the possibility of working three days a week it broke my heart! I realized I would have to give up a lot of time with Chris and with Carter. I thought of all the things I would miss all the things I would have to share with someone else things like, morning cuddles, first words, outings, even potty traing seemed like a terrible thing. I was suprised that there were so many daily things that I get to be apart of as a mother that mean so much. As I was concidering this I had another experience that I will talk about next that helped me make up my mind and turn down the offer. A few weeks later I got another job offer from another office that was only eight hours a week instead of thirty. I decided to take it. I didn't realize that leaving Carter two days a week four hours at a time would still be hard, but it is! My first day of work I left Carter with the best person possible (his grandma) I knew he was in great hands but it was still hard not being there when he woke up and having the reassurance that he was fine. He happened to be sick as well which made it worse. After I got off work I couldn't wait to see him. When I went to pick him up he was even sicker. His eyes were so goopy and he just looked miserable so I took him to the doctor. I cried all the way there! I kept thinking that I was such a horrible mother because I wasn't there to take care of him and I just let him get sick. I loved him the rest of the day! The next experience has impacted me more than anything. On July 9th a little girl fell into the Rigby canal and drowned. They life flighted her to the hospital and were able to revive her. She lived for a couple more days then passed away. I followed every step of the story, you see the parents of this child were my age and there little girl was just a couple months older than Carter. So the story hit very close to home. I cried as I watched them hold her hand for days in the hospital praying for a miracle. I cried when I heard the news that she passed away and I have been so touched by the things she has posted on her blog since the accident. She has reminded me what being a mother is all about. Here is one of her qoutes that touched me "To all the moms out there I think you are simply amazing. I don't think we realize how much we give up, and how much we love doing what we do for our children. To revert back to only Patrick and I to think about is difficult. It's painfull to wake up to silence and not hear Preslee call out "mama." I miss long stroller walks and reading her books. I miss the tender moments I had with her saying her nightly prayers right before bed. I even miss the tantrums thrown in public :) I miss everything about that little girl. Again, it so hard to back to being consumed with myself, and not Preslee.......That's what being a mother is all about, it's service. That's why it brings so much joy. So tonight when your having a bad day and the kids are on your nerves, realize how much different you would be with out them" That hit me hard, yes being a mom is hard. We give up our time, our sleep, our freedom, our perfect figures, and most of all our heart. I love being a mom! I want to take this amazing mothers message to heart and enjoy every minute, every hug, every tear, every mess, and every memory. I've learned to play more and frett less. When Carter wakes me up earlier than I want to I smile so happy to see him looking at me in his crib knowing that he is still with me. I know he won't be little long he is already growing up so fast I hope I don't miss a minute of watching him grow up becuase I am distracted or stressed over something insignificant.
I hope all you moms that read this have been touched just a little as well. To all you future mothers know that you have so much to look forward to! Keep loving and enjoying every minute of being a mother. It you want to read the story that I was referring to here is the blog address: patrickandashley.blogspot.com